Chelsea have rejected Arsenal’s opening bid for Kai Havertz but the player is keen on making a summer move to the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal are plotting big moves in the summer transfer window as they target the signing of West Ham skipper Declan Rice for a fee that could exceed £100 million and are also interested in Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia. Mikel Arteta wants to bring in Kai Havertz to the club as he looks to reshape his attack.
Havertz, 24, has struggled to live up to his £75 million price tag at Chelsea since signing on a five-year deal from Bayer Leverkusen in 2020. While the first bid has been rejected, Arsenal are continuing talks with Chelsea as they attempt to agree a fee for the German international, who is reportedly open to making the switch across London.
Mikel Arteta pushing for Kai Havertz’s signature
Arsenal were in a fierce title race with Manchester City last season but ultimately fell short. Despite leading the table for 248 days, they had to settle for second place behind Pep Guardiola’s excellent City side.
Having made tangible progress and qualified for the Champions League for the first time in seven years, Mikel Arteta is keen to build on and is looking to strengthen his squad ahead of the 2023-24 season. The Gunners boss wants to add a forward to boost his squad’s attacking ranks and has made Chelsea’s Kai Havertz one of his top targets.
Havertz endured a subpar last season, registering seven goals and an assist in 35 league outings, as Chelsea finished a disappointing 12th. Chelsea’s new boss Mauricio Pochettino wants to trim the bloated squad and appears ready to allow the German playmaker to leave Stamford Bridge this summer, only if any club meets Chelsea’s transfer fee.
Arteta is pushing for Havertz’s signing as he feels the 24-year-old playmaker would add some much-needed creativity, flair and goals to his side, although it remains to be seen whether Arsenal will be able to meet Chelsea’s asking price.
Havertz still has two years remaining on his contract at Stamford Bridge. If a deal can be agreed upon for the Germany international, it would undeniably represent one of the biggest transfers of this summer window and could potentially help the Gunners challenge for next term’s Premier League title once again.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
